Jonathan May-Bowles, ex-Royal Holloway Student has been named the man responsible for attacking Rupert Murdoch with a shaving foam pie.

Comedian and activist, Jonathan May-Bowles aka ‘Jonnie Marbles’, 26, started his degree at Royal Holloway in 2005 and studied Politics and International Relations. Royal Holloway confirmed that he had attended the college from 2005 to 2007, however, he never graduated. He left after two years since commuting daily from his home in Windsor for the duration of  his study.

He was known to the university to be a political activist and even had his own column named “Out Of Loo Roll” in The Orbital in 2007.

Mario Creatura was Editor of The Orbital from 2006-2007. Under his editorship, The Orbital was published on thinner paper in order to make the budget stretch to a fortnightly release. Creatura said: “The Out of Loo Roll section was designed to play on the joke that the quality of paper was like loo roll.”

Creatura approached him to write on a regular basis as he was starting to develop an interest in performing comedy.

Creatura described May-Bowles: “He was a funny, and articulate guy. He was very morally impassioned. We disagreed in a friendly way during a lot of political discussions but there was never any hint of aggression on his part. Just odd-ball and eccentric humour.”

The Orbital Editor of 2005-2006, Anita Engebretsen also commented: “Jon has always been a passionate politician in the name of the common person.”

“He once submitted a serious article all about penguins! That’s not to say he isn’t absolutely hilarious. There is a lot of controversy over the foam pie, but he’s done far greater stints than this over the years. And when is it ever a good time to throw a pie? Murdoch should be glad it wasn’t a shoe!”

Ex-Runnymede councillor and RHUL alumna, Daniel Hamilton tweeted to express his surprise at the attack. Mr Hamilton, now a think-tank director based in London, said: “He was often involved in stand-up comedy events at the college, but, if I am being brutally honest with you, they weren’t very funny.”

“He also got involved with anti-war and other protests, but Royal Holloway is quite a conservative university, so I think he was probably quite frustrated that there were not many more people who shared his views.”

May-Bowles is one of the founders of UK Uncut, an anti-cuts protest group. He has been charged with behaviour causing harassment, alarm or distress and has been bailed to appear before City of Westminster Magistrates Court next Friday, July 29.